Loop-positioning device



F. R. PAGE 1,774,397

LOOP POSITIONING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1929 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE Aug. 26, 1930. F. R. PAGE 1,774,397

LOOP POSITIONING DEVICE Fil ed Aug. 8, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE Aug. 26, 1930. F R PA E 1,774,397

LOOP POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ia/ fiVAm v I 300 M? I I i j 760 l l 1 m 17 l j I l l I l L INVENTOR FRANK R PAGE y 7&219 aZZar-nqys Aug. 26, 1930.

F. R. PAG E LOOP POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR FRANK RPAGE his a/Z'Zarne yS Patented Aug. 26, 193? states FRANK R. PAGE,

BRQOKLYN, NE YORK, ASSIGHOR T9 SCOTT 8r, WILLIAMS,

LOOP-POSITIONING DEVICE Application filed August 3, 1829.

T his invention has to do with mechanism for properly positioning, on the needles of a circular knitting machine preparatory for knitting, the loops forming the end course 5 of a previously formed piece of fabric, usually one transferred from another machine.

A common instance of such. a t ansferred fabric is a ribbed top for a sto Such a mechanism includes a cam that is set near the needles to engage the loops as they revolve past the part of the circle at which the webholders are retracted. This cam presses the loops down below the level of the holding down hooks of the web-holders so that when the needle rises to take yarn for the new loop, the old loop will be held down.

The primary'objects of this invention are to avoid delay in the beginning of the knitting of the courses which are to be added to the pro-formed fabric and to make the control of the cam that depresses the loops automatic and simultaneous with other operations which precede the actual beginning of knitting. Speaking more specifically, the in- 1.; vent-ion makes the loop positioning means independent of the movement of the latch ring to i s operative position and independent also of ot ier parts of the machine, so that the action of the presser cam need not await the so complete lowering of the ring. Hence there need be no extra rack of the pattern drum and no wasted revolutions of the needles, after the latch ring is lowered, to permit the loops to be positioned properly before knitting begins. Another object attained is that the proper positioning of the loops is kept from being adversely affected by any vertical move ments of the needle cylinder which may occur while the loops are being pressed down to 4:; the proper level on the needles.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made in the course of the following description of a preferred form of the invention therein illustrated,

Figure 1 is a View, in elevation. o, a part of a Scott and Williams circular l ting machine showing the relation between the loop positioner, the latch ring, the knitting: instruments and the main pattern drum, all

being in the positions which they occupy Serial No. 38%,378.

when the loops are being pressed down to Figure 3 is a similar view showing thesame parts i the positions assumed after the latch ring has been fully lifted and the loop pc-sitioner has been carried up by the latch ring to clear the space above the needle cylinder. 7

Figure 4 is a top plan View of a portion of the needle cylinder of the same machine showing the loop positioning cam in operative position with respect to the needles, the mechanismwhich moves the said cam not being fully shown.

Figure 5 is a detail view of a single webholder and associated needle, the web-holder being in retracted position, the purpose of this view being to show the position on the needle of a loop in the end course of a fabric just transferre'; to the needles and not properly positioned to be in knitting.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the position of the loop as it is passing under the lowest part of the presser or loop positioning cam.

Figure 7 is a view of a single web-holder and associated needle, the web-holder being in advanced position, showing the position of the loop depicted in Figures 4 and 5 but after passing under the loop positioning cam.

igure 8 is a detail View, in elevation, looking from the center of the upper end of the needle cylinder toward the area in front of the throat plate where the webholders are retracted, showing the loop p0- sitioning cam and the way in which the loops are pressed down on the needles as they pass under the cam.

The invention is illustrated and described here as it is used with a Scott and Williams machine of the B type, designed to receive a ribbed top, knit on another machine, and to knit the rest of the stocking. There is, however, no'dependency on this particular ma chine and no limitation to this particular use.

There is the usual revolving needle cylinder 260 with a circular series of: needles N working in vertical grooves in its outer surface under the control of cams (not shown here) arranged on the bed plate D. A ring 257. rotae. 1Q with the needle cylinder carries a series of loop-forming sinkers or web holders 292 which have nebs or holding down hooks 291. The main pattern drum 120 is advanced at intervals and in so turning the cam lugs on its face control in the desired time relation the various operations of the machine.

The latch. ring 550 is pivoted in the usual way on stud 552 in the post 401 which is supported on the bed plate D, and one or more yarn fingers F are pivoted on the arm which extends upwardly from a part The toes of these fingers rest on the throat plate 559 when feeding to the needles and are moved toward and away "from this throat plate by thrust rods (not shown here) actuated by suitable lugs on the pattern drum.

The latch ring 550 is swung toward and away from its position over the needle cylindex by a thrust rod 461 pivoted to the arms which reach from the ring itself to the stud 552 about which the ring swings. The lever 4:61 is guided and braced by a comb 452 mounted on the fixed stud 450 and its lower end rests on the main drum 120 in the path of a cam lug 501. When this lug lifts the lever the latch ring is swung upwardh to the position shown in Figure 3 and when the lever rests on the face of the drum the ring assumes its operative position (shown in Figure 2) over the needle cylinder. At the end oi the knitting. the ring is lifted so that it is in its upper position when the ribbed top. or other previoush knit part of an article. is transferred to the needles for the next cycle of the machine.

The cam lug 501 which thus controls the latch ring is a peaked one with sloping sides. The peak is located. with respect to the other cam lugs on the drum. at the zero point. that at such a point that when the drum comes to rest after stepped rotation the peak of the cam lies beneath the thrust rod 161 thereby lifting the latch ring. On the first ad.- vance step of the pattern drum. the ring is swung downwardly part way to the position shown in Fig. 1 as the thrust rod 461 rides down the sloping tace oi the cam lug 501. On the second rack of the drum the cam lug 501 moves from beneath the thrust rod 461 and allows the latch ring to come to its lower or operative position (Figure 2).

The loop positioning cam 2 is formed as an offset at the end of a downward extending rod 3 which is adjustably held by a set screw a independently of the latch ring. Its rear part, near the pivot stud, lies alongside of the arms 553 of the latch ring while its fo ward part 6 extends across the adjacent side of the latch ring to a point above and slightly to the side of the throat plate. A rod 8 adjustably held in the arm a set screw 9 rests on the top ol the sinker cap 300 when the arm 5 is swung downwardly. By properl iadjusting the positions of the rods 3 and 8 on the arm 5. the loop positioner is put. in correct position with respect to the needles and web-holders when the rod 8 rests on the cap 300. This posit on such that the cam 2 lies close to the inside of the neodles at that part of the circle at which the web-holders are retracted and with its lower edge 2 sloping downwardl; in the direction in which the needles rotate. The lower end 2 of this inclined edge 2 lies at a level just below the level of the nebs 291 of the webholders.

For swinging the arm 5 about the stud there is a thrust rod 462 pivoted at its upper end to 1 lug 10 on the under side of the arm h and resting at its lower end on the pattern drum 120 in the path of a cam lug 502. This lug is continuous tor the greater part of the drum circumference and therefore prevents the arm 5 from being fully lowered during the greater part of the cvcle of the machine. It is inter-related with the cam 501 by rea' son of having a rap about in resi'ste with the said cam witlrthe result that as the thrust rod 461 rides oil the lug: 501. dropping the latch ring to its ope ative position. the thrust rod 462 is lifted bv the leadiusr el -rte. 502 ot the lug 502. The final result is that the loop positioner is moved out oi operative position as the latch ring goes into its lower position. The trailing ,ud 502 of the lug is back oi the forward end ot the latch ringlug 501.

Vith the peak of the cam 501 beneath the th ustrod 461 (Figure the latch rine; is held in its uppermost posi ion. and hv reason of its engagement with the forward part 6 of the arm 5 which overlies the ring. the arm 5 is likewise held cleai the needle cylinder. (See Figure This position of the arm 5 is higher than that determined iv the cam 502 and, of course. could he brought about by suitahlv high cam but that is not necessarv due to the arms overlying the latch ring. On the first rack of the pattern drum. the cam lue; move l until the thrustrod 461 rests about h alt way down its rear face (Figure 1) inittiug the latch ring in an intermediate position in which it is below and clear of the, arm This restores the arm 5 to control from the pattern drum alone and. since at this time the cam lug 502 is not beneath the rod 4-62. the latter rests on the taco of the drum and. the loop positioning cam 2 is put in its operthe arm 5 then swings with the movement of the cylinder, keeping the cam 2 in operative position with respect to the needles and web-holders.

On the next rack of the drum, the cam 501 moves from beneath the rod 461 and causes the latch ring to drop to its final position over the needle cylinder, while at the end of'the same rack the cam lug 502 rides under the rod. 462 and lifts the loop positioner to an idle position clear of the knitting instrumentalities. (Fig. 2.) The same rack is availed of'to lower the yarn finger so that knitting can begin at once. Were it not for the fact that the positioning of the loops is accomplished before the latch ring is fully lowered, it would be necessary to defer the lowering of the yarn fingers and the beginning'of the knitting until at least one complete revolution after the lowering of the latch ring. That would involve giving the pattern drum an extra rack to initiate the knitting, either by a special pawl at the end of one revolution or at the end of the usual four revolutions before another rack would be taken. In the latter case there would be three idle revolutions and in either case the additional space required on'the drum and the other mechanism needed would make it most undesirable. The. present construction therefore of distinct advantage. It may be noted in passing that it is the common practice to lower the latch ring in two stages as described here. For that reason, lowering of the loop pressing cam during one of these stages and its raising during the other requires no additional racks of the pattern drum.

After the knitting is completed, the cam 501 again comes under the rod 461 and lifts the latch ring in one rack to its upper position. The latch ring takes withit, from the idle position just described, the arm 5 which carries the loop depressing cam 52. The space above the needle cylinder is therefore clear to facilitate the removal of the knitted article and the transfer of a new fabric.

An important characteristic of the construction described is that the loop positioner is structurally independent of the latch ring and of other mechanisms, being separately mounted, and it therefore is independent in respect of its movement into and out of operative position, although it is moved in timed relation to other operations of the machine.

It is true, of course, that in swinging past the intermediate position (Figure 1) to the position clear of the needle circle the latch ring does carry the arm 5 with it and thus there is a certain dependency but that comes only after both the ring and the camare already removed from operative position and is therefore immaterial. It is merely a movement from one idle position to another to clear the space above the needle cylinder. It is obvious t iat by suitably shaping the arm 5 and the cam 502 even this dependency could be avoided but as it is not undesirable and does have certain obvious advantages it is preferable to construct the arm as shown.

It is also an important characteristic of this 'onstruction that the cam, when in operative relation to the needles and web-holders, is not affected in that relation by vertical shifting of the needle cylinder. This comes about from. the fact that the cam is supported on a part that moves vertically with the cylinder, ience the cam itself moves up and down with e cylinder, maintaining its lowest edge beneaththe level of the holding down hooks of e h web-holders. I

I'claim 1. In a circular l aitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a latch ring movable to and from its operative position, a cam for depressing on said needles the loops of a fasric impaled thereon, and pattern controlled means for putting said cam in operative position independently of movement of said latch ring to its operative position.

In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a latch ring movable to and from its operative position, a cam for depressing on said needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon and pattern controlled means for moving said cam to and from its operative position independently of movement of said latch ring to its operative position.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of ieedles with intercalated web-holders, a latch ring and a cam for depressing on said needles the loops of a. fabric impaled thereon, in combination with separate means for moving said latch ring and said cam. to their respective operative positions and inter-related cam 'mea ns controlling said separate means.

In a. circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a pattern cam drum for controlling operations of the machine in definite inter-relation, a latch ring and a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, in combination with separate means for moving said latch ring and cam to their respective operative positions, said means being controlled by said pattern cam drum.

5. In a circular knitting machine having a revolvirg needle cylinder, a'circular series of needle:- -for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, a pattern mechanism for controlling operations of the machine in defini interrrelation, and means controlled by sam pattern mechanism for moving said cam to and from itsoperative position, said means being structurally independent of oth er patten controlled mechanisms.

In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles and intercalated webholders, a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, a pivoted latch ring and a separate support and operating means for said cani to move said cam between its operative position and an idle position independently of said latch ring.

7. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles and intercalated web-holders, a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, a pivoted latch ring'and a support for said cam pivoted independently of said latch ring, together withinter-related cam means for moving said ring and said cam about their pivots. V

8. In a circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a latch ring and a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, a pattern mechanism for controlling operations of the machine in definite inter-relation and including means for moving said cam to its operative position while said latch ring is in an idle position.

9. In a circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a

latch ring and a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, a pattern mechanism for controlling operations of the machine in definite inter-relation and including means for moving said cam to its operative position while said latch ring is in an idle position and for moving said cam therefrom as the latch ring is put into its operative position.

1.0. In a circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a pivoted latch ring and a separately pivoted arm with a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, an

intermittently moved pattern mechanism for controlling operations of the machine in definite inter-relation and means for dropping said latch ring to operative position in two steps of said mechanism and for moving said cam to its operative position on the first of iith intercalated web-holders, a cam said steps and away from said position on the second. 7

11. In a circularknitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, a pivoted latch ring and a pivoted arm extending across said latch ring and carrying a cam for depressing on said needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, apattern mechanism for lowering said latch ring in two steps and forlowering said arm to put said cam in operative position on the first of said steps and away therefrom on the second, said arm being adapted to be lifted bysaid latch ringfrom its idle position determined by said pattern mechanism an l to be restored to control by said mechanism on the first step of lowering said latch ring. i

r 12. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated wehholders, said web-holders, needles and cylinderbeing capable of vertical movement as a unit, a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon said cam being adapted, when in operative position, to move vertically with said cylinder and web-holders to maintain its relation thereto.

13. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles with intercalated web-holders, said web-holdere, needles and cylinder being capable of vertical movement as a unit, and a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, saidcam being supported in operative position by a part moving vertically with said vertically moving elements.

14. In a circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, a circular series of needles and intercalated web-holders all capable of vertical movement as a unit, a latch ring movable to and from its operative position and a pivoted arm with a cam for depressing on the needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon, said arm having a member adapted to rest on a part moving vertically with the needle cylinder to support said cam in operative position.

15. Ina circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, a circular series of needles and intercalated web-holders all capable of vertical movement as a unit, a pivoted latch ring adapted to be moved to operative position in two stages, and a pivoted arm extending across said latch ring, said arm having a depending cam for depressing on said needles the loops of a fabric impaled thereon and having a member adapted to en gage a part moving with said vertically moving parts and to space said arm from said ring when the latter is partly lowered and said arm is fully lowered.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK R. PAGE. 

